Telephone memory aid

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a telephone memory aid that is focused on how to capture information during a telephone call and allow entry of information by the user or other party into a database that may be used in future calls. In future calls, the telephone memory aid would allow the user to call or be called by a desired second party and see all of the stored personal information related to the second party. This might include name, date of last call, topics that were discussed in the last telephone call, names of family members, vacation plans, hobbies, and similar such information. The purpose is to improve the conversation flow and communications between the parties of the telephone call.  
     The apparatus to accomplish the invention is as follows. The telephone memory aid has a first telephone unit of a primary party, which communicates with a second telephone unit of a secondary party and a database for storing personal information about the secondary party. The telephone memory aid also has a microprocessor communicating with the database for retrieving the personal information of the secondary party. The primary party has a means for reviewing the personal information of the secondary party obtained from the database. An information entry system allows the primary and secondary party to enter information about the secondary party into the database. This secondary party information is available to the primary party on the means for reviewing during future phone calls with the secondary party. The information entry system may also enter information into the database through speech recognition algorithms in the microprocessor and through question and answer sessions with the primary and secondary parties.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The invention relates to a telephone memory aid. Morespecifically, the invention relates to apparatus for allowing personalinformation about a secondary party from a variety of sources to beentered into a database and have that information automaticallydisplayed to the primary party user in future telephone calls.

[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art

[0004] Telephone systems using caller ID are well known in the art. Inthese systems information coming from the callers telephone is displayedon the receiver telephone. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,907604and 5,982,866. UK patent 2,279,203 discloses an enhanced calling partyidentifying apparatus that focuses on how to screen calls in an expandedcaller ID. A calling party identifying apparatus is electricallyconnected to an exchange system. The calling party identifying apparatuscan display the calling number and the registered name of the callingphone set or the like (such as a fax machine). The calling partyidentifying apparatus includes a receiver, a microprocessor, a memory,an LCD, a key pad, a plurality of lights, and a speaker. The memory hasa database installed therein including a plurality of potential callers'information each of which includes a specific caller's name, the callingnumber of the caller, the preference degree thereof, and the preferredhours for the caller to call. The calling party identifying apparatus isallowed to display the caller's name on the LCD instead of displayingthe registered name of the calling device. When any call comes in, theidentification apparatus will check with the database and display thecaller's name, the calling number thereof, and the preference degreethereof The patent is focused on how to screen calls in an expandedcaller ID system.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is a telephone memory aid that is focusedon how to capture information during a telephone call and allow entry ofinformation by the user or other party into a database that may be usedin future calls. In future calls, the telephone memory aid would allowthe user to call or be called by a desired second party and see all ofthe stored personal information related to the second party. This mightinclude name, date of last call, topics that were discussed in the lasttelephone call, names of family members, vacation plans, hobbies, andsimilar such information. The purpose is to improve the conversationflow and communications between the parties of the telephone call.

[0006] The apparatus to accomplish the invention is as follows. Thetelephone memory aid has a first telephone unit of a primary party, asecond telephone unit of a secondary party which communicates with thefirst telephone unit and a database for storing personal informationabout the secondary party. The telephone memory aid also has amicroprocessor communicating with the database for retrieving thepersonal information of the secondary party in response to a connectionof the first and second telephone units. The primary party has a meansfor reviewing the personal information of the secondary party which isobtained from the database by the microprocessor. An information entrysystem allows both the primary and secondary parties to enterinformation about the secondary party into the database during the phonecalling process with the secondary party. This secondary partyinformation is available to the primary party on the means for reviewingduring future phone calls with the secondary party. Information may alsobe entered into the database through speech recognition algorithms inthe microprocessor and through question and answer sessions with theprimary and secondary parties.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 shows a schematic drawing of the overall system for thetelephone memory aid.

[0008]FIG. 2 shows a detailed schematic drawing of the telephone memoryaid system when a call is received by the primary party from thesecondary party caller.

[0009]FIG. 3 shows a detailed schematic drawing of the telephone memoryaid system when a call is placed by the primary party to the secondaryparty.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the overall system for thetelephone memory aid. Element 10 represents a connection to a phoneexchange which includes caller ID service. For purposes of disclosure anenhanced telephone 14 connected to phone exchange 10 will be the firsttelephone unit used by the primary party who is the user of the memoryaid system. Enhanced telephone 14 contains a microprocessor 18 whichperforms all applications for enhanced telephone 14. This includesspeech recognition algorithms. Microprocessor 18 is connected to aninternal database 20 that maintains personal information which has beenentered for a list of secondary callers who may call in from a secondtelephone unit 22 connected to the enhanced telephone exchange system10. For example, the relevant information about the secondary partycould be the names of his family members, his hobbies, his vacationplans, date of last call, content of the last call or futureconversation topics. The purpose of maintaining the personal informationabout the secondary caller is to help the primary party improveconversation flow and communication with the secondary party during aphone call. Third telephone units 23 may also be connected to the phoneexchange 10.

[0011] There are several means for entering information into database20. Keyboard 24 may be used by the primary party or other parties toenter information about the secondary party into the microprocessor 18which then enters the information into database 20. Internal database 20may also receive information from a question and answer sessionalgorithm in microprocessor 18 which gathers information from theprimary party caller or the secondary party caller about the secondaryparty caller. The question and answer algorithm would be used inconjnction with a speech recognition algorithm system in microprocessor18 Microprocessor 18 communicates with earpiece 26, a microphone 28, ahandset 30, a speaker 32, a keypad 36, a keyboard 24, and an LCD display40. These devices are all input/output devices to microprocessor 18Handset 30 is used by the primary party for speaking and listening inenhanced telephone system 14. Keypad 36 is used for dialing thesecondary party caller with the second telephone unit. LCD display 40 isused by the primary party upon initiation of a telephone call to displaypersonal information about secondary party. If the primary partyreceives a phone call from the secondary party, LCD display 40 displayspersonal information about the secondary party. Earpiece 26 is used toreceive personal information of the secondary party in place of a LCDdisplay 40. Microphone 28 is used by the primary party to a provideinformation to microprocessor 18 through the speech recognitionalgorithm. This information is then entered information into database20.

[0012]FIG. 2a shows a detailed schematic drawing of the telephone memoryaid system when a call (via caller ID) is received by the primary partyfrom the secondary party caller. In FIG. 2a telephone exchange 10provides the phone number of the secondary party calling from the secondtelephone unit 22 to enhanced phone 14. Microprocessor 18 whichretrieves personal data about the secondary party from the database 20and provides it to LCD display 40 for the primary party to review. LCDdisplay 40 shown in FIG. 2b displays information about the secondaryparty such as his name, the date of the last call, the topic that wasdiscussed in the last telephone call, birthday, the names of his familymembers, his hobbies, his vacation plans, or any other informationstored in database 20 about the secondary party. The display may alsogive the primary party an opportunity to accept or reject the phonecall. The primary party could also receive the same informationdisplayed on LCD 40 through earpiece 26 or speaker 44. Keyboard 24 alsoallows the primary party to enter or update information about thesecondary party into microprocessor 18 to be stored in database 20 whilethe telephone conversation is occurring. Information can also beinputted via a voice dialog (Q&A session between telephone and theprimary or secondary party). As speech recognition and languageunderstanding systems become more reliable, information may also beentered into database 20 through the use of the speech recognitionalgorithm to monitor the conversation of the primary or secondary callerand record its highlights as information.

[0013]FIG. 3a shows a detailed schematic drawing of the telephone memoryaid system when a call is placed by the primary party to the secondaryparty. The call is initiated by the primary party who enters the phonenumber in to keypad 36. The phone number goes to microprocessor 18 whichretrieves data related to the phone number and displays it on LCDdisplay 40. FIG. 3b shows the information that may be retrieved fromdatabase 20 for display on LCD display 40. This is the same informationas described with relation to FIG. 2. For example, it may show thetelephone number of the secondary party who is being called as well thename of the secondary party. It may also display information such as thelast call that was made to the secondary party, the last topic that wasdiscussed. The display may also give the primary party an opportunity toproceed or not proceed with the phone call. Information may also bedisplayed or entered into database 20, by keyboard 24, or from aquestion-and-answer session with the primary or secondary party, orthrough the use of the speech recognition algorithm to monitor theconversation of the primary or secondary caller and record highlightinformation.

[0014] It is also within the scope of the invention for the informationabout the secondary party in database 20 to be transferred to thirdtelephone 23 whose user may be anticipating a telephone call with thesecondary party.

[0015] Applicant's inventive idea is really focused on how to captureinformation during a telephone call for storage in database 20 so it maybe used in fixture calls. As the technology develops, the system willincreasingly rely on speech understanding and processing to capture keyinformation for the conversation, categorize up, store it, and redisplayit.

[0016] While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been shownand described, numerous variations and alternative embodiments willoccur to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, it is intended that theinvention be limited only in terms of the appended claims.

I claim:
 1. A telephone memory aid comprising, a first telephone unit ofa primary party connected to a phone exchange, a second telephone unitof a secondary party which communicates with said first telephone unit,said second telephone unit also connected to said phone exchange, adatabase for storing personal information about said secondary party, amicroprocessor communicating with said database for retrieving saidpersonal information of said secondary party in response to acommunication of said first and second telephone unit, a means forreviewing said personal information of said secondary party by saidprimary party, said means for reviewing cooperating with saidmicroprocessor to receive said personal information of said secondaryparty. An information entry means for allowing the primary party toenter information about the secondary party via a keyboard, suchinformation communicated to said microprocessor to be stored in saiddatabase, said secondary party information to be available to theprimary party on said means for reviewing during future phone calls withthe secondary party.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which said means forreviewing said personal information is a display.
 3. The apparatus ofclaim 1 in which said means for reviewing may present said personalinformation as audio.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1 in which informationentry system includes a speech recognition system.
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 4 in which information entry system includes a microprocessorcontrolled question and answer session with said primary party.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 4 in which information entry system includes amicroprocessor controlled question and answer session with saidsecondary party to allow said secondary party to enter information intosaid information entry system.
 7. A telephone memory aid comprising, afirst telephone unit of a primary party connected to a phone exchange, asecond telephone unit of a secondary party which communicates with saidfirst telephone unit, said second telephone unit also connected to saidphone exchange, a database for storing personal information about saidsecondary party, a microprocessor communicating with said database forretrieving said personal information of said secondary party in responseto a communication of said first and second telephone unit, a means forreviewing said personal information of said secondary party by saidprimary party, said means for reviewing cooperating with saidmicroprocessor to receive said personal information of said secondaryparty. An information entry system including a microphone in which saidmicroprocessor includes a speech recognition algorithm system, saidprimary party entering personal information about said secondary partythrough said microphone to said speech recognition algorithm in saidmicroprocessor to be stored in said database, said secondary partyinformation to be available to the primary party on said means forreviewing during future phone calls with the secondary party.
 8. Atelephone memory aid comprising, a first telephone unit of a primaryparty connected to a phone exchange, a second telephone unit of asecondary party which communicates with said first telephone unit, saidsecond telephone unit also connected to said phone exchange, a databasefor storing personal information about said secondary party, amicroprocessor communicating with said database for retrieving saidpersonal information of said secondary party in response to acommunication of said first and second telephone unit, a means forreviewing said personal information of said secondary party by saidprimary party, said means for reviewing cooperating with saidmicroprocessor to receive said personal information of said secondaryparty. An information entry system in which said microprocessor monitorsthe conversation of said primary and secondary parties and uses saidspeech recognition algorithm to obtain information to be stored in saiddatabase, said secondary party information to be available to theprimary party on said means for reviewing during future phone calls withthe secondary party.
 9. The telephone memory aid of claim 8 in whichsaid information entry system performs a question and answer algorithmfor response by said primary party to enter personal information aboutsaid secondary party into said database, said secondary partyinformation to be available to the primary party on said means forreviewing during future phone calls with the secondary party.
 10. Thetelephone memory aid of claim 8 in which said information entry systemperforms a question and answer algorithm for response by said secondaryparty to enter personal information about said secondary party into saiddatabase, said secondary party information to be available to theprimary party on said means for reviewing during future phone calls withthe secondary party.
 11. The telephone memory aid of claim 1 in whichsaid second party information is transferred from said first phone unitto said third phone unit.